16 November 2015
Pacific Youth Focus of High-Level Dialogue
story highlights

A High-Level Dialogue on Youth has convened, under the theme ‘Nurturing a Resilient Generation and Future Pacific Leaders.' Participants discussed strategies for increasing investment in issues affecting Pacific youth, such as non-communicable diseases (NCDs), climate change, sexual reproductive health and rights, and the employment and empowerment of girls and young women.

Despite the fact that more than half of the Pacific region's 10 million people are under the age of 25, targeted investment is lacking to respond to youth issues and meet the needs of young people in the region.

pacific_community6 November 2015: A High-Level Dialogue on Youth has convened, under the theme ‘Nurturing a Resilient Generation and Future Pacific Leaders.’ Participants discussed strategies for increasing investment in issues affecting Pacific youth, such as non-communicable diseases (NCDs), climate change, sexual reproductive health and rights, and the employment and empowerment of girls and young women. Despite the fact that more than half of the Pacific region’s 10 million people are under the age of 25, targeted investment is lacking to respond to youth issues and meet the needs of young people in the region.

The dialogue, which convened on 5 November 2015, was part of the ninth biennial Conference of the Pacific Community, which convened in Alofi, Niue, from 31 October – 5 November, and agreed that a focus on youth would become a standing agenda item during governing body meetings. Ministers from the 26 members of the Pacific Community, youth representatives and development partners attended the high-level dialogue.

The UN Secretary-General’s Envoy for Youth, Ahmad Alhendawi, gave a keynote address on overcoming barriers to implementing policies on engaging youth in sustainable development. He also presented a global perspective on youth-centered development to see where opportunities for regional or national alignment would be beneficial for Pacific countries, and said he planned to work closely with the Pacific Community and the Pacific Youth Council to mobilize and support young people’s efforts towards achieving the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).

Colin Tukuitonga, Pacific Community Director-General, said the presence of Alhendawi brought an international perspective to options for building resilient future generations in the Pacific. Pacific Youth Council Vice-Chair Inangaro Vaka’afi said that youth across the Pacific are taking the lead in climate change actions and solutions with youth-led movements like the Pacific Climate Warriors.

The High-level Dialogue: considered work led by ministries of youth; learned from challenges and best practices; made recommendations regarding how government approaches can help increase investments in youth and bring a focus on youth to other sectors; and heard about efforts being implemented by Samoa, the Solomon Islands and Australia to catalyze youth development at the national and regional levels.

Pacific member states agreed to develop opportunities to help build skills for young people, through regional awards for youth enterprise, youth internships at SPC, and adapting good practices through South-South cooperation. They also recognized the Pacific Youth Development Framework 2014-2023, coordinated by the Secretariat of the Pacific Community (SPC) and the Pacific Youth Council, which ensures that young people have a central role in shaping development agendas for youth, and is the primary regional approach to youth-centered development in the Pacific. [Pacific Community Press Release, 29 October] [Pacific Community Press Release, 5 November] [SPC Media Release] [UN Youth Envoy Website Story]

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